Cub scouts work, honor veterans at Grandview cemetery
BONNERS FERRY — The cub scouts troop 201 and pack 114, with support from the older scouts and parents, came together at the Grandview Cemetery on Friday, May 28 to honor the memory of veterans who have passed away.
According to troop leader Tiffani Beggerly, the event goes back for years and is annually done to provide volunteer opportunities for the scouts to honor those resting. The scouts focus on the older section of the cemetery that is usually not well kept or maintained as the newer section.
The scouts spent more than four hours cleaning up the cemetery and getting rid of any debris and foliage, and they help rake the leaves and tree droppings and begin to put flags on all the veteran graves.
The VFW invites the troops to help and participate in the cleaning and placing of the flag. The older scouts help lead, the younger scouts by example.
“It’s good for the older scouts to provide leadership and the scouts see what they’re doing,” Beggerly said. “It’s just great, I just love seeing all of this.”
The day was cold, windy, and kids laughed, enjoying the day with their troops, parents and friends. So many of the younger scouts found ways to have fun.
Beggerly stated the motto is “play with a purpose,” and the scouts aren’t just volunteering but learning. The scouts learn about what it means to be a veteran and honoring those who served to protect our freedoms.
Many of the scouts, like Makensie Beggerly, stated they weren’t tired but often found themselves having fun competing to see who could make an enormous pile of leaves.
There were the occasional exciting mishaps with a scout stepping on a rake or a scout collecting more pine cones than they could carry for their collection.
According to Beggerly, her troop has been approached by people grateful for their troops’ work cleaning up their resting place.
The scouts also marched in the Memorial Day parade to honor all those veterans who have passed on.
Pack 114 with the other scouts plans to continue on these volunteer programs and plan to do more events that follow the “play with fun” motto.
